THANK YOU TO THE OCS PTA!

Due to the generosity of the PTA, our class was able to get a new set of "Intermediate Dictionaries," clipboards and colored pencils. All of these are perfect for use in ALL of our classes!

Dictionaries are so important because they help us with our writing and everyday vocabulary. The clipboards will let us work anywhere in the room (so we're not always stuck at our desks!) and the colored pencils are great for "Writer's Workshop" for when we need to revise & edit our work.

Check out some pictures of students working on their dictionary skills with a partner from earlier today!

Our class is so thankful and grateful to have such a wonderful group of volunteers to help out in our school community and to assist us with our learning in the classroom-THANK YOU & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

This week....

we all know is the last week before break, but we try to keep it as routine as possible! On Wednesday, we will have a Math quiz on what we have covered in our "Decimals" unit.
Also, if you happen to be up early, or going to bed late tonight-check out the only Lunar Eclipse of 2010! We will be discussing what a Lunar Eclipse is in Science today.
Have a great week!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Yesterday, we continued our tradition of mitten sewing! Everyone did a fabulous job & the mittens look great.
Students started by tracing their mitten pattern on 2 pieces of felt. After they carefully cut them out, they sewed a button on a snowman and that snowman was then sewn onto the mitten. The children did an awesome job on then sewing the two pieces together to create our final product. Next week, they will be filled with all of the goodies everyone has been bringing in to share. These sure will be a special and sweet memento for years to come.

In other news....... CULTURE KIT BOOK REVIEWS ARE DUE ON MONDAY!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Everyday Math

In an effort to reduce the use of paper, I will now be posting the link up with the "Family Letter" for each Math Unit. As many of you know, I would send home a paper copy of the Family Letter so that you would be aware of what we would be practicing in our new unit.
Please read the letter and explore the EM site!

Have a great weekend!

https://www.wrightgroup.com/download/em/em3mm_g4_u04_family_letters.pdf

December 7, 2010

LANGUAGE ARTS;
This week we are reading "The Swimming Hole." You will notice synonyms on this week's Spelling List!
Also, please ask your child about "arm-tapping," this is an excellent activity to help with the spelling of anything that may be a challenge!

Words:
wood; would
too; to; two
there; their; they're
your; you're
beat; beet
break; brake
clothes; close
piece; peace
thrown; throne

*Bonus/Vocabulary*
dugout; punish; shallow; rushes; jointed

****REMINDER: CULTURE KIT BOOK REVIEWS DUE 12/20!!*****

SCIENCE UPDATE: Due to concert rehearsals, the chapter 3 test scheduled for this Friday, will now be next week on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14

Weekly Happenings!

It's great to be back at school and in the swing of things with the class. As I am sure you have heard, I was out for Monday & Tuesday this week but, as I knew it would be, the students worked hard and are on schedule for the week.

* Language Arts: Spelling, Selection & Grammar tests will be Friday.

List words for "I Love Guinea Pigs" (note-compound words!)
1. baseball
2. highway
3. something
4. nighttime
5. weekend
6. basketball
7. classroom
8. sometimes
9. motorcycle
10. classmate
11. upstairs
12. anyway
13. chalkboard
14. downstairs
15. doorbell
16. myself
17. newspaper
18. earrings
19. softball
20. driveway
*Vocabulary/Extra Credit*
21. boars
22. fond
23. gnawing
24. sow
25. varieties

As mentioned yesterday, Chapter 3 Math Test has been moved to tomorrow, Thursday 12/2 from today. Please review at home tonight!

Happy December!

Happy Monday!

Welcome to another school week!

The Ecosystem diaramas look fantastic! It is very obvious that a great deal of time and effort went into these. Check back later this week for pictures!

In LA this week, we are reading "A Big City Dream" which is about a young girl who lives in the city and opens up a garden by her apartment so that she can see some green! Here is the Spelling list from this weeks reading:
1. often
2. might
3. known
4. they
5. remember
6. surprised
7. caught
8. island
9. finally
10. really
11. several
12. everyone
13. everybody
14. interesting
15. swimming
16. camera
17. December
18. evening
19. beginning
20. February
*blisters
*catalog
*celebrate
*impressed
*padlock

Please complete this week's Language Arts homework in your best cursive!

Enjoy the week!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Some classroom updates:


*In an effort to conserve paper usage, I will NOT be sending home the "Buddy Read" sheets anymore. Students should be writing down the weekly read in their agenda books and are responsible for reading with someone at home still.

*On the topic of agenda books-I am trying to encourage more independence in the students, they should be writing their homework in their agenda book on their own-I will not sign it at the end of the day. I will check to see if they are writing their assignments in their books at some point during the following day, but I will no longer be checking each book and signing at the end of the day. If I notice an issue with a particular student, I will then go back to checking that student's agenda.

*Everyone has been doing such an awesome job with their writing and can't wait to share a piece (or two) at our celebration on the 24th (for LA students)-if you are available that day and would like to come it would be greatly appreciated-just remember to send your response in!

Thank you!
Rose Mazzeo

Lenape Indians

Our current unit in Social Studies, deals with early people of New Jersey and we have been discussing the Lenape Indians. If you are interested, click on the link: http://www.nativetech.org/games/index.php to check out some of the games that were played by the Lenape and other tribes hundreds of years ago!

Enjoy!

CONFERENCES!

Your child should have given you a green sheet of paper when they got home today, telling you the day/time of our conference for next week. If you did not receive it, please send me an email-rmazzeo@oxfordcentral.org

Reminder- as we wrap up another month of school, the October book review is due this week!

See you all soon!

Lit Circles!

It is so exciting, we are well into our first (of a few) Literature Circles in Language Arts!

Students are broken up into three groups and are taking responsibility within their groups. The three books being read are all written by Judy Blume and star Fudge & Peter in "Double Fudge" and "Fudge a Mania" (Fudge is Peter's younger brother that can make him a bit nuts at times) and our other book, "Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great", stars our favorite know it all-Sheila!

Also, we will be working on vocabulary during weeks which we are in Literature Circles. This week's words focus on weather and shopping!
Please help your child review at home and bring up in conversation if possible!: TEPID; SWELTERING; BALMY; BRISK; HUMID; THRIFTY; NEGOTIATE; WARRANTY; REDEEM; REBATE

Have a great week!

Family Pictures

This week we are reading "Family Pictures" in Language Arts. What is neat about this story, is that we are studying the author's purpose (which in this case, is to entertain). The author remembers her childhood growing up in Texas with her Spanish speaking family and clearly displays how proud she is of her heritage by writing the story in English on the top portion of the page and in Spanish on the bottom. What great and extra practice for Friday's Spanish class!

Spelling List:
station
vacation
wild
lion
invite
broke
remote
danger
cable
behind
hide
arrive
drove
stole
April
bacon
pint
decide
whole
smoke
*handkerchief
*inspired
*involved
*laundry
*scene

SPIRIT DAY

Tomorrow-Tuesday, October 5 is Spirit Day!! This month's theme is pajamas or of course, you can always wear our school colors!

CELEBRATION OF WRITERS!

Today we held our first of many more "Writing Celebrations!"

This crew has been hard at work at creating amazing Alphabet Books that we inspired by "T is for Touchdown."

There was also a fun part where each student wrote a story about saving a pet and had a fellow writer act it out-the more vivid the details-the more colorful the show!

A few students even volunteered to write and share songs, plays and poems to delight us.

Take a look at the pictures to see what a great time was had.

EVERYONE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THEIR EFFORTS!

"Yingtao's New Friend"

This week in Scott Foresman we are reading 'Yingtao's New Friend" about a boy and his family from China that have moved to the U.S. Yingtao's family is very musical and unfortunately, he is not. However, he does meet a classmate, Matthew who is very musically gifted and a friendship is formed.

Obviously, this week's words for the Spelling List are from that story and our vocabulary words are musical!

Spell-
1. band
2. blanket
3. finger
4. window
5. forgot
6. trouble
7. couple
8. cash
9. backpack
10. build
11. pond
12. closet
13. young
14. tough
15. January
16. river
17. guilt
18. block
19. chop
20. cousins
*instruments
*measures
*orchestra
*rehearsal
*triangle

Have a great week!

TGIF!

PICTURES ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27!!

Just a gentle reminder that our first of the monthly book reviews is due on Wednesday, 9/30. September reading logs are due on the first day of October.

Check our Friday newsletters for additoinal information about class!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Welcome Monday!

This week in Language Arts we have started a new story: "Train to Somewhere" about a young orphan and her cross country journey to meet with her mother.
For Language Arts there will be Spelling, Grammar (& the 10 minute nightly read) this week.

This week's Spelling List:
1. them
2. credit
3. speak
4. least
5. season
6. honey
7. alley
8. went
9. engine
10. reason
11. steal
12. money
13. monkey
14. donkey
15. fence
16. contest
17. beat
18. treat
19. valley
20. hockey
*adopt*
*carriage*
*couple*
*misery*
*atlas*

Have a great week!

Spelling List!

The Spelling List for this week's story "A Visit with Grandpa": (remember-test on words is on Friday!)

huge
few
usual
menu
shoot
fruit
bruise
excuse
nephew
pupil
cool
school
suit
cruise
confuse
curfew
fuel
mood
shampoo
juice
biscuits*
dough*
prairie*
raisins*
wrinkled*

* words are bonus!

Red, White and Blue Day

Is tomorrow-Friday, September 10!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Hello All!

Hopefully is getting right into the new school year.

We have two very special days coming up next week.

First one will be Tuesday 9/7, which is the first "Spirit Day" of the school year. Please show your OCS pride and wear our school colors!

On Friday of next week (9/10) will be "Red, White & Blue" day at OCS. Please support all of our American heros and wear the patriotic colors.

Have a great night!

BACK TO SCHOOL!

WELCOME TO 4TH GRADE!

We have been off to a great first day. As many of you parents remember, the first day is filled with A LOT of "parent homework!"

Just as a guide, there are 8 items going home that need to be brought back signed:

1.-Free/Reduced Lunch Application

2.-Internet Use

3.-Parent/Student Handbook

4.-Unscheduled Closing

5.-Video/Photo Release

6.-12:30 Dismissal

7.-Emergency Contact

8.-Broadcast Message

**I am also sending home one sheet for you to complete (sorry!) in order for me to get to know your child more and anything you would like to share so that we can make sure we all have a successful, productive and happy school year!

Thank you!

August 26, 2010

I am so excited, we have less than a week to go! Just a reminder, we do have snack in 4th grade, so be sure to back a little something-snack on the first day back will be a nice treat!
Also, a gentle reminder, please bring in your summer packets and books on Wednesday!
See you soon!
Miss Mazzeo

Friday, August 13, 2010

It's almost that time again-BACK TO SCHOOL!

Remember to relax and enjoy your remaining days of summer!

See you soon!

June 17, 2010

Enough said!

Wishing everyone a very safe and wonderful summer break. Thank you for a fantastic year, everyone made it special!
Love,
Miss Mazzeo

Monday, June 14, 2010

FIELD DAY! We were so lucky to have the weather hold out on us! Everyone had a great day! Check out our pics!

Don't forget-Ocean Night is tonight starting at 6pm!

TGIF! June 11, 2010

IT"S OUR LAST FULL DAY OF SCHOOL!

In Language Arts we celebrated by holding a "Reader's Theater" and read (and acted) out Mark Twain's "Adventures of Tom Sawyer," it was great! Check out the picture below!

Also, everyone did very well on their 50 States/Capitals test! Now, time to work on our NJ shirts!

Don't forget-Monday is Field Day! Please check your child's Friday newsletter for their team assignments and more happenings for next week!

Have a great weekend!

Check out what we just completed in Language Arts....

As we completed our last Lit Circle of the year, we completed brand new book jackets for our "Because of Winn-Dixie" books. Everyone worked super hard on them and it shows! They look amazing! Take a look for yourself!

Monday, June 7

REMINDER: PLEASE BRING IN RECIPES FOR OUR NJ AGRICULTURE FEST NEXT WEEK.

ALSO, TALENT SHOW IS THIS THURSDAY-MAKE SURE YOU RETURN THE PERMISSION SLIP (SIGNED) BY TOMORROW, OR YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE SHOW.

REMINDER: FRIDAY, JUNE 11-WILL BE A FULL DAY OF SCHOOL.

Friday, May 28, 2010

REMINDERS:

CRAZY SOCK DAY ON TUESDAY, JUNE 1

SCIENCE CURRENT EVENT DUE ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2

HAVE A WONDERFUL AND SAFE MEMORIAL DAY!

Friday, May 21, 2010

With the warmer weather approaching, it is important to bear in mind the Clothing Policy that is in place at Oxford Central School.

ACCEPTABLE ATTIRE INCLUDES:
1. Slacks or jeans
2. Tennis shirt or blouse or polo shirt WITH SLEEVES
3. Shoes or sneakers
4. Shorts or skirts (MINIMUM FINGER TIP LENGTH)

UNACCEPTABLE ATTIRE INCLUDES:
1. Half-shirts, see-through blouses, any type of shirt or blouse where a midriff (stomach) is showing, tank tops and any blouse/shirt deemed inappropriate by the administrations
2. Dresses or skirts worn shorter than mid-thigh (finger tip length)
3. Spaghetti-strap dress or shirt
4. Unlaced or untied sneakers or shoes
5. NO FLIPFLOPS!!!
6. “Roller sneakers”
7. Pajama bottoms or lounge pants

Monday, May 17, 2010

ART-
In your child's homework folder, you will notice that there is a note from Mrs. Nemeth to all 4th graders. By this Friday (5/21) each 4th grader needs to bring in at least one CLEAR PLASTIC 2-Liter soda bottle. The label and plastic need to be removed and they should be thoroughly washed and dried. Name and class SHOULD NOT BE WRITTEN ON THE BOTTLE, there is a slip of paper that will be placed around it.
Thanks!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Whew! Well, we are all done with our NJASK testing and what a relief that is! Luckily, our class will celebrate with Mrs. Dowd's class the conclusion of testing with an ice-cream sundae party!

Have a great weekend!

Due to a “calendar misread,” your May Book Review will be due on FRIDAY, MAY 28!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Good Morning!

It's hard to believe that spring is well under way and that our class has officially started taking the NJASK!

Please bear in mind that it is important that your child is well rested each morning and comes in after eating a hearty and nutritious breakfast. We want them to be as prepared and comfortable as they possibly can be so that they can keep their focus while taking this exam.

We will not be having any homework or tests/quizzes this week.

Any questions? Just ask! :)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

REMINDER-THE APRIL BOOK REVIEW IS DUE ON FRIDAY 4/30!

Thursday, Apri 1, 2010

Some 4M Updates:

April Book Review will be due Friday, April 30th.
Please read at least 150 minutes over the break for LA.
If "Funny Fractions" packet is complete for 4/13 (Tuesday), it is 15 points extra credit!

Lastly, I wish everyone a very happy and healthy holiday-ENJOY THE BREAK AND SEE YOU ON MONDAY, APRIL 12!

March 30, 2010

Check out our writers that are hard at work! In Language Arts we have been working on a creative writing piece based on the book, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." The studious writers have been putting their stories in writing about what foods they would see fall from the sky!

We will share our stories with each other on Thursday morning!

Some Neat Websites to Check Out....

https://www.wrightgroup.com/parent_connection/index.html

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. SEUSS/ST. JUDE'S MATHATHON

READ ACROSS AMERICA

"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child."
What better way to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday than reading to a child? On the evening of March 2nd (Dr. Seuss's birthday), Random House and the National Education Association (NEA) urge you to participate in the second annual Read Across America and read to a child.

WHY CELEBRATE DR. SEUSS?

Dr. Seuss epitomizes a love of children and learning. Also, his use of rhyme makes his books an effective tool for teaching young children the basic skills they need to be successful. When we celebrate Dr. Seuss and reading, we send a clear message to America's children that reading is fun and important.

(www.seussville.com)

HOMEWORK:
*Everyone is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to read to a younger sibling/relative/friend this evening. Pets included!

******ALSO, PLEASE BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE SAINT JUDE'S PACKET THAT IS COMING HOME TODAY. WE ARE ALL (IN 4M) PARTAKING IN THE MATH-A-THON; IF YOU ARE ABLE, DONATIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED TO THIS WONDERFUL CAUSE!!!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Due to our mini "Winter-Break" there have been a few adjustments in this week's schedule:

Language Arts:
*WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON LAST WEEK'S STORY, "HALF-CHICKEN" ALONG WITH THE ACCOMPANYING GRAMMAR (ADJECTIVES) & SPELLING LIST WORDS
-Selection Test on "Half-Chicken" will be this Thursday, 2/18
-Grammar & Spelling Tests will be Friday, 2/19

Social Studies:
CHAPTER 7 TEST WILL NOW BE THURSDAY, 2/18

Math:
DIVISION QUIZ WILL BE WEDNESDAY, 2/17

***Our Valentine's Celebration will also be held this afternoon!

Friday, January 15, 2010

SCIENCE EXTRA CREDIT ALERT!


In the newspaper or on the internet, look up the daily high and low temperatures in your area for five days in a row. Use the data to make a line graph. Use one color for the highs and another color for the lows.

WORTH 10 EXTRA POINTS!

Due Date: FRIDAY, JANUARY 22

Monday, January 11, 2010

WE LOVE MONDAYS IN 4M! Ok maybe we don’t, but we still have work to do! ☺

LANGUAGE ARTS:
1. Read 15 minutes

*****BOOK REVIEW DUE JANUARY 29, 2010! REMEMBER, THIS MONTH’S TOPIC IS ON DIFFERENT CULTURES!*****

*BOOK APPROVALS FOR THE BOOK REVIEW WILL BE THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 15!

SOCIAL STUDIES:
“Getting Around New Jersey” worksheet

SCIENCE:
“Water Cycle” worksheet

MATH:
1. Study Link 5.4
2. Practice Fact Triangles 10 minutes

Liberty State Park

This week we talked about Liberty State Park and our early ancestors tha may have arrived at that port. LSP is a great convenient day trip and is right here in NJ!
http://www.libertystatepark.org/